Deep-sea salvage apparatus



A. E. LEMON.

DEEP SEA SALVAGE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 050.30, 19x9.

1,415,661 v Patented May 9, 1922.

Y INVENTOR- ITNES 8 nrmkuns citizen of the United .States and a resident of Douglas,- in the county of Cochise and ALFRED E. LEMON, O'F DOUGLAS, ARIZONA.

DEEP- SEA SALVAGE APIBARA'JZUS.

T0 all'whomz'tmay concern: a

Be-it known that I, ALFRED Er LnMoN; a

State of Arizona, have invented a newand Improved Deep-Sea Salvage Apparatus, of

I which the following is a full, clear v and exact description.

a new and improved deep-sea salvage apparatus," moreespecially designed for doing salvageand similar work on sunken vessels or other parts located-atjgrea-t depth.

Another object is to permit of-maintaining a practically normal. air pressure within the apparatusirrespective of the depth it is I in at the time,'thus enabling the occupant or occupant-s to workwithout danger of being subjected to high air pressures so detrimentaltohealth.

Another object is to permit of lowering the apparatus to .the desired depth froma mother ship or raising it to the surface with out loss of valuable time.

Another object is to enable the occupant to fasten. grappling or similar devices to a .a vessel 10 having a hull 11,- .spherical shape, and constructed to readily sunken vessel or other object withaview to raisemthe; same or perform other 'desired' work.

Another object is to permit of running the apparatus along the seabottom for locating a sunken vessel or for explorationorother purposes. I

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features ofconstruction as hereinafter shown and deis represented in the accompanying drawlngs, formlng a part oi thlsspeclfication 1n which the figure is a sectional side elevation of the improved deep sea salvagev apparatus.

The deep sea salvage apparatus comprises withstand" deep water. pressure whe'nwlowered to the bottom of the sea. The-hull 11 is provided exteriorly at'the bottom-with a. ballast receptacle 12 filled with suitable ballast 13150 cause the vessel 10 to. sink to the desired depth. The top of the hull'll is 7 provided withan eye 14 engaged by acable l5xconnected with. a Windlass .or other suit- Specification of Letters Patent.

. a-bleap'paratus on board of ar mother ship with suitable valves 22 normally openvbut can" be closed inrcase of I an emergency. The hull 11 is provided near the top with a suitable manhole 25' for the "son orp ersons have'passed into thevessel at. the t me the-latter; is at thesurface of the 1 Within the hull floor 30 thereof is Y with a propeller'shaft 4:4:

preferably a of I propeller 46 to permit of moving the vessel "the sunken vessel or v 'bottomorfor other-purposes; "The clutch Patented May 9, '1

Application filed December '30, 1919. Serial No; 348,317;

55. to permit of lowering or raising the vessel 10.

a Two air pipes 20 and 21 ofanon-collapst ble nature are attachedto the hull open into the vessel to circulate air 11 and within 6 0 the hull approximately undernormai or at- "1110813118110 pressure. i The object of the invention 1s to-provlde other suitableapparatus forv forcing lair through the pipe into the vessel'under'an approximately atmospheric pressure The other pipe serves for the escape of the vitiated air incident to the exhaling' of the an by t-he occupant or occupants ofthe-vessel10; The pipes20and21 are provided and 23,iwhi'chare 7 5 ingress or egress of the person or'persons confinedin the vessel 10. The manhole 25 is provided with a suitable cover 26 which is' held locked in closed position after the per- 11 and preferably at-"the'j arranged a'bilgepump 31 having its suction pipe 32 extendingfto v the bottom of the hulland having its discharge pipe 33 extending through the hull and the ballast casing12 to allow 'bilgew'vater out of thevessel' into the surf of pumping the rounding water.

'VVithin the'hull "10 is arranged a motor 40, preferably of theelectric type,- and mounted on a bracket 41 attached tot-he hull 11 at the 1 inside thereof, and the shaftf iQ, of; this mo tor'isconnected by a reversible clutch43' j ournaled in, a suitable bearing 45 arranged in the hull 11, prefv erably atr the middle of theheight of the hull; as-plainlyshown inthe drawing. The

outerend of the propeller shaft 44 carriesa alongjwhen submerged either forlocating for exploring the seal e3 isprovided with a suitable clutch lever 105 47 to permit-of connecting or disconnecting theshaztts-LQ, a l whenever it is desired to doso. f

A rudder 50 is mounted to swing on brackets 51. and 52 attached to the outside of the hull 11 above and below the propeller 16, and the lower pivot 53 of the rudder 50 is connected by bevel gearing 5% with a shaft 55 journaled in a bearing 56 arranged in the hull 11. On the inner end of the shaft 55 is secured a steering wheel 57 under the control of an occupant of the vessel 10 to turn the rudder 50 with a view to steer the vessel in a desired direction.

A manually controlled gripping device 60 is mounted in the wall of the hull 11 and is constructed as follows: A joint formed of a ball 61 and a socket 62 is secured in the hull 11, and in the ball 61 is mounted to slide a tube 63 connected at its outer end by links ea with two gripping jaws 65 mounted to swing on the pivot 66 held on the outer end of a rod 67 mounted to slide in the tube The inner end of the rod 67 extends within the hull 11 and on the inner end is secured a nut 68 in which screws a screw rod 69 mounted to turn at one end in a bearing 70 attached to the inner end of the tube 63. The screw rod 69 is provided with a crank arm 71 under the control of an occupant of the vessel to permit the occupant to turn the screw rod 69 with a view to move the rod 67 outward according to the direction in which the screw rod 69 is turned at the time. On moving the rod 67 outward the jaws 65 are closed to grip a part exteriorly of, the vessel 10. On moving the rod 67 inward the jaws 65 are opened to release the part preiously gripped. It will be noticed that by mounting the gripping device in the ball 61 it can be readily swung into a desired position ror the jaws to grip a part located exteriorly of the vessel 10. It will also be noticed that the tube 63 can be readily moved inward or outward on the ball 61 to properly locate the jaws 65 relative to the object to be gripped.

A ball and socket joint is formed by a ball 80 and a socket 81 in the hull 11 above the gripping device 60, and in the ball 80 is mounted a telescope 82 to permit the occupant to obtain a clear view of the parts to be 'ripped or explored. Below the gripping device 60 is arranged a searchlight 90 to illuminate the object to be gripped by the gripping device 60. Below the search- .light 90 is arranged a bearing 95 in which is mounted to turn and to slide the shaft 96 carrying at its outer enda drill 97 and connected at its inner end with a motor 98 mounted to slide on a guideway 99 attached to the hull 11 at the inside ofthe vessel. A feed screw 100 is mounted to turn in a. bearing 101 attached to the hull 11, and the said feed screw 100 screws in a nut 102 forming part or the motor 98. A feed wheel 103 is attached to the feed screw 100 to permit of moving the motor 98 forward or back- It will be noticed that this magnet 110 is especially necessary when using the drill 97 so as to provide the desired hold of the vessel 10 on the object to be drilled. Within the vessel 10 is also arranged a telephone 120 and a switchboard 121 having its cir cuit wires 122 extending through a non-collapsible tube 123 attached to the top of the hull 11 and leading to the mother ship.

It is understood that only one gripping device 60 is shown, but it is evident that more such devices may be mounted on the hull 11. The gripping device may be used for placing hooks or other devices lowered from the mother ship into holes drilled by the drill 97 in the object to be raised by the apparatus on the mother ship. -The gripping device can also be used for picking up objects or placing grappling books or buckets in position during salvage work.

The apparatus after having been tested and connected up with the mother ship, and with a trained crew placed inside the vessel, is let down in the vicinity of say a sunken ship which is to be salvaged. Arriving near the ocean floor, the crew, directing the depth at which the apparatus is maintained by means of the telephone to the mother ship, can move in a horizontal direction asdesired on using the propeller 36 and the rudder 50. The sea floor can thus be explored until the sunken ship is located. The vessel is then moved to a selected point on the side of the ship and held in position thereon by means of the electromagnet 110. The drill 97 is next used to drill a hole in the side of the sunken vessel and then a hook suspended by a steel cable from a pontoon orifrom the mother ship is let down and bymeans of the gripping device 60 is engaged with-the drilled hole. The apparatus is then'moved to another point on the sunken ship, and the above described operation is repeated as- It is understood that as the tide raises the pontoons and with them the ship below through the attached cables, the pontoons are towed toward the shore at each rise of the tide until the ship is out of Water at apparatus, comprising atube adapted to be low tide. Salvage can then be completed by mounted in the Wall of the body of the apsimple ordinary methods. paratus, a rod slidable in the tube, a pair of It will be noticed that by the use of this jaws fulcrumed on the outer end of the said 15 5 cheap easy salvage apparatus it is feasible rod, links connecting the said jaws with the to save ships and cargoes from depth far outer end of the said tube, a nut on the inner beyond reach with an ordinary apparatus. end of the said rod, a screw rod screwing in Having thus described my invention, I the said nut and having one end mounted to claim as new and desire to secure by Letters turn on the said tube, and a handle on the 20 0 Patent: other end of the said screw rod.

A gripping device for a deep sea salvage ALFRED E. LEMON. 

